Meanwhile, in a City in Liaoning Province, several hundred kilometers away from the City.
A food exploration blogger with millions of followers on a short video platform had just finished a day of filming.
His name was Tang Song, and his online handle was "Old Tang Talks Food."
He was deeply loved by netizens for his humorous language and professional review style.
At this moment, he and his cameraman, Xiao Li,
were walking out of a well-known local restaurant with satisfied expressions.
"Phew... *burp*~" Old Tang patted his round belly and praised from the bottom of his heart.
"This place is good! The portions are substantial, and the flavor is authentic."
"Brother Tang, look at this!" Xiao Li, the cameraman, suddenly held up his phone and shouted with a look of amazement.
"What's wrong? Did another restaurant's reputation collapse?" Old Tang leaned over, thinking there was some major gossip in the food circle.
"No, the comment section and private messages are exploding!" Xiao Li handed the phone to Old Tang.
In the comment section of his latest video,
as well as in his private message inbox, everything was being spammed with the same content.
[Old Tang, Old Tang, emergency call! I heard you're in Liaoning Province recently. Hurry to the City to check out a shop! There's a particularly popular Hardware Store that will absolutely blow your mind!]
[The location is No. 134 Wutong Alley, Old Town, Yangcheng City. The name is 'Old Lu Hardware Store.' You can find it on the map!]
[Brother Tang, trust me once! That shop sells everything! There's nothing you can think of that the boss can't produce! Please, go take a look!]
Looking at the content, Old Tang frowned, his face full of question marks.
"A Hardware Store? You want me to go explore a Hardware Store?" He handed the phone back to Xiao Li and burst out laughing.
"Is this a joke? What would I eat at a Hardware Store? Garlic-sauteed nuts and bolts, or braised giant wrenches?"
"Hahahaha!" Xiao Li was also amused.
"These netizens nowadays really know how to have fun. They'll come up with any crazy idea!"
The two of them laughed uncontrollably, both thinking it was a well-intentioned prank by the fans.
However, as Xiao Li laughed, his expression gradually became serious.
He clicked on the hashtag #Omnipotent Hardware Store that had been tagged countless times and began to browse carefully.
"Brother Tang, wait..." He stopped Old Tang, who was about to get into the car.
"This matter... seems a bit different from what we thought."
He handed the phone over again.
This time, the screen was playing video clips of Lu You's live stream, showing customers buying Malatang, fried noodles, and even feasting heartily in the shop at the end.
The smile on Old Tang's face gradually vanished as the video played.
It was replaced by a complex expression mixed with curiosity and professional sensitivity.
"Is... is this for real?" He murmured to himself as he watched the young boss calmly bring out various delicacies from the back warehouse and saw the incredulous looks on the customers' faces.
What was this?
This was a top-tier trending topic! This was explosive popularity!
As a veteran self-media person, he instantly smelled the massive traffic potential contained within.
A Hardware Store selling all kinds of gourmet food.
It could even satisfy the customers' wildest ordering requests.
This setting itself was filled with unparalleled appeal.
Imagine a professional food blogger running to a Hardware Store to do a review.
Just with this title alone, wouldn't you want to click in and see?
"Let's go!" Old Tang made a prompt decision, his eyes flashing with excitement.
"Navigate to the City! We're leaving now!"
"Now?" Xiao Li glanced at the sky.
"Brother Tang, we just ate our fill, and it'll be night by the time we get to the City."
"No rush." Old Tang waved his hand and sat back in the car.
"We're only a little over a hundred kilometers from the City; it's just a two-hour drive. We can use the evening to properly research this 'Old Lu Hardware Store' online and see what's really going on there."
"Tomorrow morning, we'll go meet him!"
Lu You knew nothing about this.
He still maintained his disciplined and regular routine.
After counting the day's turnover and business points, he entered his dreams with satisfaction.
Early the next morning, just as dawn broke.
Lu You got out of bed feeling refreshed.
He opened the doors of the Hardware Store, ready to face the challenges of a new day.
But as soon as he pulled up the rolling shutter, he saw two people standing at the door filming a video.
He didn't pay much attention; after all, since he became popular, all sorts of people came to film every day.
He just assumed it was another wave of people coming to debunk him or ride the trend.
He gave a warm greeting and then went about wiping down the counter.
Outside the door were Old Tang and cameraman Xiao Li, who had prepared all night.
"Come on, start filming." Old Tang adjusted his collar and gave his signature smile to the camera.
"There are many fake reviews out there; let the real chef tell you the truth."
After the familiar opening, he changed his tone and said in a both comical and serious manner:
"Today, we aren't exploring a restaurant or a tavern. We're here to explore... a Hardware Store!"
After saying this, he almost couldn't help but laugh out loud himself.
"Hahaha! I can't do it, I can't do it. Why does this sound so awkward? Even I think it's ridiculous!"
Cameraman Xiao Li quickly focused the camera on the weathered sign of "Old Lu Hardware Store."
A large close-up shot pushed the sense of contrast to the extreme.
Then Old Tang took the lead, took a deep breath, and walked into this Old Lu Hardware Store that had been hyped up by countless netizens.
As soon as he entered, a smell mixed with metal, engine oil, and sawdust hit him.
Old Tang looked around; the shelves were filled with various wrenches, pliers, electric drills, and parts he couldn't name.
No matter how he looked at it, it didn't have a damn thing to do with the word "gourmet."
He couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical. Could you really eat something in this place?
Was he being played by those fans?
"What would you two like to buy?" Lu You immediately came forward to greet them warmly when he saw them enter.
Looking at Lu You's young and sincere face, Old Tang actually felt a bit embarrassed to speak for a moment.
After all, coming to someone's legitimate Hardware Store to order food felt a bit like he was there to cause trouble.
If the boss cursed him out as a lunatic, it would be a huge embarrassment.
But then he thought, he was a professional food blogger; what kind of storms hadn't he seen?
He steeled himself, made up his mind, and asked tentatively:
"Boss, excuse me... can one order food here?"
Lu You was stunned for a moment by the question, but then he immediately reacted.
He had just started the online business yesterday, and today a professional had arrived. It seemed his fame had already spread.
A knowing smile appeared on his face as he gave his signature answer.
"Yes!"
"What would you like to eat?"
Having received an affirmative answer, Old Tang felt a bit more at ease. He followed up: "Then... do you have a menu... or something like that here?"
When he said the word "menu," his face turned beet red, and he almost broke character and laughed.
Asking a boss for a menu in a Hardware Store was definitely the most ridiculous experience of his career.
Lu You shook his head honestly.
"After all, this is a Hardware Store."
Hearing this, the sliver of hope that had just ignited in Old Tang's heart instantly turned into disappointment.
Without a menu, could he only be like those netizens and just order some fast food like fried noodles or braised pork trotter rice?
That would be too lacking in challenge.
Just as he was thinking this, Lu You's next words made his eyes widen instantly.
Lu You looked at him, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, and said in a confident tone:
"You can order whatever you want here. Any cuisine, any dish—as long as you can name it, I can make it. If I can't, I lose, and I'll compensate you ten times the amount of today's bill!"